Information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program

Abstract

To allow for transmitting information using UWB pule shapes on top of data transmission.SOLUTION: An information processing device is provided, comprising an estimation unit configured to estimate context of a user, an identification unit configured to identify a UWB pulse shape corresponding to the context of the user, and an output unit configured to output a UWB pulse of the identified pulse shape. The estimation unit also estimates context of the surroundings on the basis of a shape of the UWB pulse received from the surroundings.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program. [Background technology]

[0002] A technique has been disclosed relating to a position detection system that determines the positional relationship between a terminal and a communication device through UWB communication (Ultra Wide Band: Ultra Wide Band Wireless Communication) between them. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-139845 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the above-mentioned conventional technology merely transmits data via UWB communication and determines the relative positions of a terminal and a communication device. UWB radio waves are not sinusoidal waves like those used in wireless LANs (Local Area Networks) or Bluetooth (registered trademark), but are pulsed waveforms with an extremely wide bandwidth, and the pulse shape can be freely changed to a certain extent. Therefore, we propose a method for transmitting information in UWB communication by intentionally changing the pulse shape, separate from data transmission.

[0005] The present application has been made in view of the above, and aims to transmit information in the form of UWB pulses separately from data transmission. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The information processing device according to the present application comprises: UWB An information processing device used as a terminal device capable of communication, The above is determined from user history information or sensor information.Context related to the user's action, situation, or surrounding environment The user's context is estimated using a model for estimating a specifying unit that specifies a UWB pulse shape according to the estimated user context using a table that associates combinations of context and pulse shapes; and an output unit that, in UWB communication, changes the pulse shape and outputs UWB pulses with the specified pulse shape, thereby transmitting information using the pulse shape separately from data transmission. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the embodiment, apart from data transmission, information can be conveyed in the form of UWB pulses. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of an information processing method according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of changing the pulse intensity. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of changing the pulse frequency. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of changing the pulse frequency and the number of pulses. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of changing the pulse intensity, pulse frequency, and pulse number. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an information processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a terminal device according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a context-pulse correspondence table. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an external server according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the user information database. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of the history information database. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program according to the present application (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the information processing device, the information processing method, and the information processing program according to the present application are not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, the same components in the following embodiments will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

[0010] [1. Overview of information processing method] First, an overview of an information processing method performed by an information processing device according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of the information processing method according to an embodiment. Note that Fig. 1 explains an example in which information is transmitted in the form of a pulse of UWB (Ultra Wide Band: ultra-wideband wireless communication).

[0011] 1, the information processing system 1 includes a terminal device 10 and an external server 100. The terminal device 10 and the external server 100 are connected to each other via a network N (see FIG. 6) in a wired or wireless manner so as to be able to communicate with each other. In this embodiment, the terminal device 10 cooperates with the external server 100.

[0012] The terminal device 10 is a smart device such as a smartphone or tablet terminal used by a user U, and is a portable terminal device capable of communicating with any server device via a wireless communication network such as 4G (Generation (4G)) or LTE (Long Term Evolution) networks. The terminal device 10 has a screen such as a liquid crystal display with a touch panel function, and accepts various operations on displayed data such as content, such as tapping, sliding, and scrolling, performed by the user U with a finger or a stylus. An operation performed on an area of ​​the screen where content is displayed may be considered an operation on the content. The terminal device 10 may be not only a smart device, but also an information processing device such as a desktop PC (Personal Computer) or a notebook PC.

[0013] The external server 100 is an information processing device that works in conjunction with each user U's terminal device 10 and provides each user U's terminal device 10 with API (Application Programming Interface) services for various applications (hereinafter referred to as apps), etc., as well as various data, and is realized by a server device, a cloud system, etc.

[0014] The external server 100 may also be an information processing device that provides some kind of online web service to the terminal device 10 of each user U. For example, the external server 100 may provide services such as internet connection, search services, social networking services (SNS), electronic commerce (EC), electronic payments, online games, online banking, online trading, hotel and ticket reservations, video and music distribution, news, maps, route searches, route guidance, line information, operation information, and weather forecasts as web services. In practice, the external server 100 may cooperate with various servers that provide the above-mentioned web services and act as an intermediary for the web services or may be responsible for processing the web services.

[0015] The external server 100 can acquire user information about the user U. For example, the external server 100 acquires information about the attributes of the user U, such as the gender, age, and residential area of ​​the user U. The external server 100 then stores and manages the information about the attributes of the user U together with identification information (such as a user ID) that indicates the user U.

[0016] The external server 100 also acquires various types of history information (log data) indicating the behavior of the user U from the terminal device 10 of the user U or from various servers based on the user ID, etc. For example, the external server 100 acquires a location history, which is a history of the user U's location and date and time, from the terminal device 10. The external server 100 also acquires a search history, which is a history of search queries entered by the user U, from a search server (search engine). The external server 100 also acquires a browsing history, which is a history of content viewed by the user U, from a content server. The external server 100 also acquires a purchase history (payment history), which is a history of the user U's product purchases and payment processes, from an e-commerce server or a payment processing server. The external server 100 may also acquire a listing history and a sales history, which are a history of the user U's listings on the marketplace, from the e-commerce server or the payment processing server. The external server 100 also acquires a posting history, which is a history of the user U's posts, from a posting server or SNS server that provides a word-of-mouth posting service.

[0017] Currently, radio waves commonly used as wireless communication standards, such as wireless LAN (Local Area Network) and Bluetooth (registered trademark), have a sinusoidal waveform with a narrow bandwidth (frequency band), so it is not possible to deform the waveform and encode information into the waveform itself.

[0018] However, UWB (Ultra Wide Band) radio waves are not sine waves but pulsed waveforms with an extremely wide bandwidth, so the shape of the pulse (strength, frequency, etc.) can be changed to a certain degree of freedom, and information can be encoded into the shape of the pulse (various information can be expressed in the shape of the pulse).

[0019] In other words, UWB can emit pulses because they do not need to be sinusoidal. The shape of the pulse (strength, frequency) can change considerably in UWB. Also, UWB can emit strong or weak waves as needed.

[0020] In this embodiment, the terminal device 10 of the user U supports UWB and transmits the context of the user U to the surrounding terminal devices 10 using the shape of a UWB pulse. For example, the terminal device 10 of the user U transmits the context of the user U to the surrounding terminal devices 10 using the strength of the UWB pulse (radio wave strength). Here, peak power is used as the pulse strength. Alternatively, the terminal device 10 of the user U transmits the context of the user U to the surrounding terminal devices 10 using the frequency (pulse width) of the UWB pulse. Furthermore, the terminal device 10 of the user U may transmit the context of the user U to the surrounding terminal devices 10 using a combination of the strength and frequency patterns of the UWB pulse.

[0021] 1, the terminal device 10 of the user U acquires a model (context estimation model) for estimating (inferring) the context of the user U from the external server 100 via the network N (see FIG. 6) (step S1). For example, the terminal device 10 of the user U acquires the model for estimating (inferring) the context from the browsing history, purchase history, email / message history, sensor information, etc. from the external server 100.

[0022] The terminal device 10 of the user U may perform on-device machine learning to reconstruct the model and improve the accuracy of estimation. In this case, the terminal device 10 may manage a local model (terminal-side model) unique to the terminal, and the external server 100 may manage a global model (server-side model) common to all terminals. Furthermore, the terminal device 10 and the external server 100 may perform machine learning in a distributed state without aggregating data by using federated learning.

[0023] The terminal device 10 of the user U estimates the context of the user U (step S2). For example, the terminal device 10 of the user U estimates the context of the user U using the acquired model (context estimation model). At this time, the terminal device 10 of the user U may estimate the context of the user U when there is a change in various information (history information, sensor information, etc.) due to the behavior of the user U or a change in the environment, or at predetermined time intervals (every minute, every 10 minutes, every hour, at a predetermined time every day, etc.).

[0024] The terminal device 10 of the user U identifies the pulse shape corresponding to the estimated context (step S3). The terminal device 10 of the user U has a table that associates combinations of contexts with pulse shapes, and determines the pulse shape corresponding to the context of the user U using this table.

[0025] For example, the terminal device 10 of the user U identifies the pulse intensity according to the estimated context. At this time, the terminal device 10 of the user U has a table that associates combinations of contexts with pulse intensities, and determines the pulse intensity according to the context of the user U using this table.

[0026] Furthermore, the terminal device 10 of the user U identifies the pulse frequency according to the estimated context. At this time, the terminal device 10 of the user U has a table in which the context is associated with a combination of a pulse frequency (and a pulse number) pattern, and the terminal device 10 determines the pulse frequency (and a pulse number) pattern according to the context of the user U using this table.

[0027] The terminal device 10 of user U outputs UWB pulses with the specified pulse shape (intensity, frequency) so as to indicate the estimated context (step S4). For example, the terminal device 10 of user U outputs UWB pulses at a specified intensity (radio wave intensity) while keeping the frequency of the UWB pulses constant. Alternatively, the terminal device 10 of user U outputs UWB pulses at a specified frequency (pulse width) while keeping the intensity of the UWB pulses constant. Note that the terminal device 10 of user U may output UWB pulses at the specified intensity and frequency. In other words, both the intensity and the frequency may be changed.

[0028] The terminal device 10 of the user U collects surrounding context from UWB pulses of the surrounding terminal devices 10 (step S5). For example, the terminal device 10 of the user U estimates the surrounding context based on the shapes of UWB pulses received from the surrounding terminal devices 10. At this time, the terminal device 10 of the user U may estimate the surrounding context from the shapes of UWB pulses received from the surrounding terminal devices 10 using a model for estimating (inferring) the context from the shapes of UWB pulses.

[0029] The terminal device 10 of the user U transmits information about the context to the external server 100 via the network N (see FIG. 6) (step S6). For example, the terminal device 10 of the user U transmits information about the context of the user U and the collected surrounding context to the external server 100 via the network N (see FIG. 6).

[0030] [1-1. Encoding context into pulse intensity] The terminal device 10 of the user U converts the context of the user U into UWB pulse strength (radio wave strength) and transmits it. That is, the terminal device 10 of the user U encodes the context of the user U into pulse strength. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of changing the pulse strength. For the sake of simplicity, the attenuation portion is not shown.

[0031] For example, as shown in (a) of Figure 2, when user U is "outside (outdoors)", the terminal device 10 encodes the context of user U into the pulse intensity by keeping the frequency (pulse width) of the UWB pulse constant and changing the intensity of multiple consecutive pulse waves to a pattern such as "strong, weak, weak". Note that even "weak" (weak waves) are assumed to be strong enough to be recognized as pulse waves.

[0032] Furthermore, as shown in (b) of Figure 2, when user U is "inside (indoors)", the terminal device 10 encodes the context of user U into the pulse intensity by keeping the frequency of the UWB pulse constant and changing the intensity of multiple consecutive pulse waves to a pattern such as "strong, strong, weak".

[0033] At this time, the terminal device 10 of the user U and the surrounding terminal devices 10 set the pulse intensity to a predetermined intensity (reference value). Thereafter, the surrounding terminal devices 10 can recognize the context of the user U by determining how much the intensity of the first pulse from the terminal device 10 of the user U has changed (become stronger or weaker) relative to the predetermined intensity.

[0034] In addition, when user U is "running," terminal device 10 may encode user U's context into the pulse intensity by keeping the frequency of the UWB pulse constant and changing the intensity of multiple consecutive pulse waves to a pattern such as "strong, weak, weak, weak."

[0035] In addition, when user U is "not running," terminal device 10 may encode user U's context into the pulse intensity by keeping the frequency of the UWB pulse constant and changing the intensity of multiple consecutive pulse waves to a pattern such as "strong, weak, strong, strong."

[0036] For example, the terminal device 10 of the user U and the surrounding terminal devices 10 set the pulse intensity to a predetermined intensity (reference value). Thereafter, the terminal device 10 of the user U determines how much the intensity of the first pulse from the surrounding terminal devices 10 has changed (become stronger or weaker) relative to the predetermined intensity, thereby being able to recognize, for example, that there are many people running nearby.

[0037] The first pulse of a series of multiple pulse waves may have a predetermined intensity. The pulse intensity is not limited to "strong" > "weak," but may be "strong" > "medium" > "low," or may be "5" > "4" > "3" > "2" > "1." That is, the pulse intensity is not limited to two levels, but may be multi-level. Furthermore, in order to distinguish from other terminal devices, the terminal device 10 of the user U may select a frequency that is different from the pulse of the other terminal devices most recently received. A distant frequency may also be selected. Furthermore, the terminal device 10 of the user U may select a frequency randomly.

[0038] [1-2. Encoding context into pulse frequency] The terminal device 10 of the user U converts the context of the user U into a UWB pulse frequency (pulse width) and transmits it. That is, the terminal device 10 of the user U encodes the context of the user U into the frequency of the pulse radio wave. In this embodiment, the UWB pulse waveform is represented by a pattern that combines multiple frequencies (pulse widths). FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of changing the pulse frequency. For simplicity of explanation, the attenuation portion is omitted from the illustration.

[0039] For example, as shown in (a) of Figure 3, when user U is "outside," the terminal device 10 encodes the context of user U into the pulse frequency by keeping the intensity of the UWB pulse constant and changing the consecutive multiple pulse waves into a pattern such as "frequency X, frequency Y, frequency Z."

[0040] Also, as shown in (b) of Figure 3, when user U is "inside," the terminal device 10 encodes the context of user U into the pulse frequency by keeping the intensity of the UWB pulse constant and changing the consecutive multiple pulse waves into a pattern such as "frequency Y, frequency X, frequency Z."

[0041] [1-3. Encoding context into pulse frequency and number of pulses] The terminal device 10 of the user U may change not only the frequency (pulse width) of the UWB pulses but also the number of pulses (frequency). The terminal device 10 of the user U may also change the combination of multiple frequencies. Figure 4 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of changing the pulse frequency and number of pulses. For simplicity of explanation, the attenuation portion is omitted from the illustration.

[0042] For example, as shown in (a) of Figure 4, when user U is "outside," the terminal device 10 encodes the context of user U into the pulse frequency by keeping the intensity of the UWB pulse constant and changing the consecutive multiple pulse waves into a pattern such as "two pulses of frequency X, one pulse of frequency Y, and one pulse of frequency Z."

[0043] Furthermore, as shown in (b) of Figure 4, when user U is "inside," the terminal device 10 encodes the context of user U into the pulse frequency by keeping the intensity of the UWB pulse constant and changing the consecutive multiple pulse waves into a pattern such as "one pulse of frequency X, two pulses of frequency Y, and one pulse of frequency Z."

[0044] Furthermore, as shown in (c) of Figure 4, when user U is "eating," the terminal device 10 encodes the context of user U into the pulse frequency by keeping the intensity of the UWB pulse constant and changing the consecutive multiple pulse waves into a pattern such as "two pulses of frequency X and three pulses of frequency Y."

[0045] [1-4. Combinations of pulse intensity, pulse frequency, and pulse number] Furthermore, the terminal device 10 of the user U may change the combination of the UWB pulse strength, frequency, and number of pulses. Figure 5 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of changing the pulse strength, pulse frequency, and number of pulses. For simplicity of explanation, the attenuation portion is omitted from the illustration.

[0046] For example, as shown in (a) of Figure 5, when user U is "outside," the terminal device 10 encodes the context of user U into the pulse shape (a combination of intensity, frequency, and number of pulses) by changing the UWB pulse wave to a pattern such as "one strong pulse, one weak pulse at frequency X, three strong pulses at frequency Y, etc."

[0047] Also, as shown in (b) of Figure 5, when user U is "inside", the terminal device 10 encodes the context of user U into the pulse shape (combination of intensity, frequency, and number of pulses) by changing the UWB pulse wave to a pattern such as "two strong pulses, two weak pulses at frequency X, one strong pulse at frequency Y, etc."

[0048] The pulse strength is not limited to "strong" > "weak" but may be "strong" > "medium" > "low" or may be "5" > "4" > "3" > "2" > "1". In other words, the pulse strength is not limited to two levels, but may be multi-level.

[0049] Furthermore, "outside" and "inside" are merely examples. In reality, the terminal device 10 may encode contexts relating to various situations and actions of the user U or the surroundings into the pulse shape (a combination of intensity, frequency, and number of pulses). Furthermore, the terminal device 10 may encode the context of "outside" or "inside" "home," "workplace," or "specific facility" into the pulse shape (a combination of intensity, frequency, and number of pulses).

[0050] [1-5. Change only the first pulse (leading pulse)] In UWB, multiple very short and sharp pulse waves are generated. For example, if there are four pulses, four pulse waves are generated, from the first to the fourth pulse.

[0051] For example, of four pulse waves, the first pulse wave is called the first pulse (1st pulse), the second pulse wave is called the second pulse (2nd pulse), the third pulse wave is called the third pulse (3rd pulse), and the fourth pulse wave is called the fourth pulse (4th pulse). Currently, the first to fourth pulses are generally each a single pulse wave, but it is also possible to represent each pulse as a group (set) of multiple consecutive pulse waves. The number of consecutive multiple pulse waves is arbitrary.

[0052] In this embodiment, the terminal device 10 of the user U represents the first pulse (leading pulse) of the first to fourth pulses of the UWB as a series of multiple pulse waves, and encodes various information into the pulse shape by changing the shape pattern (intensity, frequency, etc.) of the series of multiple pulse waves. It is also possible to encode various information by changing the intensity of a single pulse wave, instead of a series of multiple pulse waves. Furthermore, this is not limited to the first pulse, and the second pulse and subsequent pulses may also be used. In other words, various information can be encoded into the second pulse and subsequent pulses in the same way as the first pulse.

[0053] For example, when user U is "outside," terminal device 10 represents the first pulse as a series of multiple pulse waves, and changes the series of multiple pulse waves to a pattern such as "one strong pulse at frequency X, one weak pulse, three strong pulses at frequency Y, etc.", thereby encoding user U's context into the pulse shape (a combination of intensity, frequency, and number of pulses).

[0054] Furthermore, when user U is "inside," terminal device 10 represents the first pulse as a series of multiple pulse waves, and changes the series of multiple pulse waves to a pattern such as "two strong pulses at frequency X, two weak pulses, one strong pulse at frequency Y, etc.", thereby encoding user U's context into the pulse shape (a combination of intensity, frequency, and number of pulses).

[0055] [1-6. Transmitters other than terminal devices] As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing system 1 may further include a transmitter 200 in addition to the terminal device 10 and the external server 100.

[0056] The transmitter 200 is compatible with UWB (Ultra Wide Band) and transmits information in the form of UWB pulses. In this embodiment, the transmitter 200 transmits the context of the transmitter 200 to the terminal device 10 of the user U in the form of UWB pulses. At this time, the terminal device 10 of the user U may notify the external server 100 of the context of the transmitter 200 via the network N (see FIG. 6).

[0057] For example, the transmitter 200 transmits the context of the transmitter 200 to the terminal device 10 by the strength of the UWB pulse. Alternatively, the transmitter 200 transmits the context of the transmitter 200 to the terminal device 10 by the frequency pattern of the UWB pulse. Furthermore, the transmitter 200 may transmit the context of the transmitter 200 to the terminal device 10 by combining the strength and frequency pattern of the UWB pulse.

[0058] The transmitter 200 may be an anti-loss tag such as AirTag (registered trademark), a house / building, a car, a home appliance, an electronic device, etc. compatible with the Internet of Things (IOT), a terminal device owned by the user U other than the terminal device 10, or a terminal device of another user. For example, the transmitter 200 may infer the state (current state) of the transmitter 200 from the measurement results of a sensor (such as an acceleration sensor) mounted / connected to the transmitter 200, and transmit the state (current state) of the transmitter 200 to the terminal device 10 of the user U in the form of a UWB pulse. In practice, the transmitter 200 may transmit the measurement results of the sensor of the transmitter 200 itself to the terminal device 10 of the user U in the form of a UWB pulse. Then, the terminal device 10 of the user U may infer the state (current state) of the transmitter 200 from the shape of the UWB pulse indicating the measurement results of the sensor. In addition, the terminal device 10 of the user U may notify the external server 100 via the network N (see Figure 6) of the shape of the UWB pulse indicating the sensor measurement results or the estimated state (current state) of the transmitter 200.

[0059] Note that when the transmitter 200 is located within a predetermined range of the terminal device 10 of the user U, or when the transmitter 200 is moving together with the terminal device 10 of the user U, the context of the transmitter 200 represents the context of the user U. In this embodiment, the transmitter 200 and the terminal device 10 are located within a distance where UWB radio waves can reach each other. In this case, the terminal device 10 of the user U may infer the context of the user U based on the shape of the UWB pulse from the transmitter 200, and notify the external server 100 of the context of the user U via the network N (see FIG. 6).

[0060] Furthermore, when the terminal device 10 of the user U itself serves as the transmitter 200, the terminal device 10 infers the context of the user U using various sensors mounted / connected thereto, and transmits the context of the user U to the external server 100 in the form of a UWB pulse. Note that in practice, the terminal device 10 may transmit the measurement results of the various sensors to the external server 100 in the form of a UWB pulse. The external server 100 may infer the context of the user U from the shape of the UWB pulse indicating the measurement results of the various sensors.

[0061] [2. Example of information processing system configuration] Next, a configuration of an information processing system 1 including an external server 100 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the information processing system 1 according to an embodiment. As shown in Fig. 6, the information processing system 1 according to an embodiment includes a terminal device 10 and an external server 100. These various devices are connected to each other via a network N so as to be able to communicate with each other via wired or wireless communication. The network N is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) or a WAN (Wide Area Network) such as the Internet.

[0062] Furthermore, the number of devices included in the information processing system 1 shown in Fig. 6 is not limited to that shown in the figure. For example, in Fig. 6, for the sake of simplicity, only one terminal device 10 is shown, but this is merely an example and is not limiting, and two or more devices may be included.

[0063] The terminal device 10 is an information processing device used by a user U. For example, the terminal device 10 is a smart device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal, a feature phone, a PC (Personal Computer), a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a game console or AV device with a communication function, a car navigation system, a wearable device such as a smart watch or a head-mounted display, smart glasses, etc.

[0064] Furthermore, the terminal device 10 can connect to a network N via a wireless communication network such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), or 5G (5th Generation: fifth generation mobile communication system), or via short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or wireless LAN (Local Area Network), and communicate with the external server 100. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the terminal device 10 supports UWB (Ultra Wide Band: ultra-wideband wireless communication).

[0065] The external server 100 is, for example, a PC, a server device, a mainframe, a workstation, etc. The external server 100 may be realized by cloud computing.

[0066] [3. Example of terminal device configuration] Next, the configuration of the terminal device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the terminal device 10. As shown in Fig. 7, the terminal device 10 includes a communication unit 11, a display unit 12, an input unit 13, a positioning unit 14, a sensor unit 20, a control unit 30 (controller), and a storage unit 40.

[0067] (Communications Department 11) The communication unit 11 is connected to a network N (see FIG. 6) by wire or wirelessly, and transmits and receives information to and from the external server 100 via the network N. For example, the communication unit 11 is realized by a NIC (Network Interface Card), an antenna, etc.

[0068] (Display section 12) Display unit 12 is a display device that displays various information such as position information. For example, display unit 12 is a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic electro-luminescent display (OLED). Display unit 12 is also a touch panel display, but is not limited to this.

[0069] (Input section 13) The input unit 13 is an input device that accepts various operations from the user U. For example, the input unit 13 has buttons for inputting characters, numbers, etc. The input unit 13 may be an input / output port (I / O port), a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port, etc. If the display unit 12 is a touch panel display, a part of the display unit 12 functions as the input unit 13. The input unit 13 may be a microphone that accepts voice input from the user U. The microphone may be wireless.

[0070] (Positioning unit 14) The positioning unit 14 receives signals (radio waves) transmitted from satellites of a GPS (Global Positioning System), and acquires position information (e.g., latitude and longitude) indicating the current position of the terminal device 10, which is the device itself, based on the received signals. That is, the positioning unit 14 positions the position of the terminal device 10. Note that GPS is merely an example of a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System).

[0071] The positioning unit 14 can also measure the position using various methods other than GPS. For example, the positioning unit 14 may measure the position by using various communication functions of the terminal device 10 as an auxiliary positioning means for position correction, etc., as described below.

[0072] (Wi-Fi positioning) For example, the positioning unit 14 uses a Wi-Fi (registered trademark) communication function of the terminal device 10 or a communication network provided by each communication company to measure the position of the terminal device 10. Specifically, the positioning unit 14 performs Wi-Fi communication or the like and measures the distance to a nearby base station or access point, thereby measuring the position of the terminal device 10.

[0073] (Beacon positioning) The positioning unit 14 may also measure the position by using a Bluetooth (registered trademark) function of the terminal device 10. For example, the positioning unit 14 measures the position of the terminal device 10 by connecting to a beacon transmitter connected by the Bluetooth (registered trademark) function.

[0074] (geomagnetic positioning) The positioning unit 14 also measures the position of the terminal device 10 based on a geomagnetic pattern of a structure that has been measured in advance and a geomagnetic sensor that the terminal device 10 has.

[0075] (RFID positioning) Furthermore, for example, if the terminal device 10 has a function of an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag equivalent to a contactless IC card used at station ticket gates, in stores, etc., or has a function of reading an RFID tag, the location where the terminal device 10 was used is recorded together with information on the payment or the like made by the terminal device 10. The positioning unit 14 may obtain such information to determine the location of the terminal device 10. Alternatively, the location may be determined by an optical sensor, an infrared sensor, or the like provided in the terminal device 10.

[0076] The positioning unit 14 may measure the position of the terminal device 10 using one or a combination of the above-mentioned positioning means, as needed.

[0077] (Sensor unit 20) The sensor unit 20 includes various sensors mounted on or connected to the terminal device 10. The connection may be wired or wireless. For example, the sensors may be detection devices other than the terminal device 10, such as wearable devices or wireless devices. In the example shown in FIG. 7 , the sensor unit 20 includes an acceleration sensor 21, a gyro sensor 22, a barometric pressure sensor 23, a temperature sensor 24, a sound sensor 25, a light sensor 26, a magnetic sensor 27, and an image sensor (camera) 28.

[0078] The above-described sensors 21 to 28 are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. That is, the sensor unit 20 may be configured to include some of the sensors 21 to 28, or may include other sensors such as a humidity sensor in addition to or instead of the sensors 21 to 28.

[0079] The acceleration sensor 21 is, for example, a three-axis acceleration sensor, and detects physical movements of the terminal device 10, such as the direction of movement, speed, and acceleration of the terminal device 10. The gyro sensor 22 detects physical movements of the terminal device 10, such as tilt in three axial directions, based on the angular velocity of the terminal device 10. The air pressure sensor 23 detects, for example, the air pressure around the terminal device 10.

[0080] The terminal device 10 includes the acceleration sensor 21, the gyro sensor 22, the atmospheric pressure sensor 23, etc., and therefore it is possible to measure the position of the terminal device 10 using a technique such as Pedestrian Dead-Reckoning (PDR) that uses these sensors 21 to 23. This makes it possible to obtain location information that is difficult to obtain using a positioning system such as GPS.

[0081] For example, the number of steps, walking speed, and distance walked can be calculated using a pedometer that uses the acceleration sensor 21. In addition, the direction of travel, line of sight, and body tilt of the user U can be determined using the gyro sensor 22. In addition, the altitude and floor on which the terminal device 10 of the user U is located can be determined from the air pressure detected by the air pressure sensor 23.

[0082] The temperature sensor 24 detects, for example, the temperature around the terminal device 10. The sound sensor 25 detects, for example, the sound around the terminal device 10. The light sensor 26 detects the illuminance around the terminal device 10. The magnetic sensor 27 detects, for example, the geomagnetism around the terminal device 10. The image sensor 28 captures an image around the terminal device 10.

[0083] The above-mentioned air pressure sensor 23, temperature sensor 24, sound sensor 25, light sensor 26, and image sensor 28 can detect the air pressure, temperature, sound, and illuminance, respectively, and capture images of the surroundings, thereby detecting the environment and situation around the terminal device 10. Furthermore, the accuracy of the location information of the terminal device 10 can be improved based on the environment and situation around the terminal device 10.

[0084] (control unit 30) The control unit 30 includes, for example, a microcomputer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM, input / output ports, etc., and various other circuits. The control unit 30 may also be configured with hardware such as an integrated circuit, for example, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The control unit 30 includes a transmitting unit 31, a receiving unit 32, a processing unit 33, an estimating unit 34, an identifying unit 35, and an output unit 36.

[0085] (Transmitter 31) The transmission unit 31 can transmit, for example, various pieces of information input by the user U using the input unit 13, various pieces of information detected by the sensors 21 to 28 mounted on or connected to the terminal device 10, and location information of the terminal device 10 measured by the positioning unit 14 to the external server 100 via the communication unit 11. In this embodiment, the transmission unit 31 requests a model (context estimation model) for estimating (inferring) the context of the user U from the external server 100 via the communication unit 11. Furthermore, the transmission unit 31 may request attribute information, history information, etc. of the user U from the external server 100 via the communication unit 11, as necessary.

[0086] (Receiver 32) The receiving unit 32 can receive various types of information provided by the external server 100 and requests for various types of information from the external server 100 via the communication unit 11. In this embodiment, the receiving unit 32 receives a model (context estimation model) for estimating (inferring) the context of the user U from the external server 100 via the communication unit 11. Furthermore, the receiving unit 32 may receive attribute information, history information, etc. of the user U from the external server 100 via the communication unit 11 as necessary.

[0087] (Processing unit 33) The processing unit 33 controls the entire terminal device 10, including the display unit 12. For example, the processing unit 33 can output various information transmitted by the transmitting unit 31 and various information received by the receiving unit 32 from the external server 100 to the display unit 12 for display.

[0088] Furthermore, the processing unit 33 may function as an estimation unit 34, a specification unit 35, and an output unit 36 ​​described below by starting an application or executing a program.

[0089] (Estimation part 34) The estimation unit 34 estimates the context of the user U. For example, the estimation unit 34 estimates the context of the user U based on history information or sensor information.

[0090] In this embodiment, the estimation unit 34 estimates the context of the user U using a model (context estimation model) for estimating (inferring) the context of the user U. For example, the estimation unit 34 estimates the context of the user U using a model for estimating the context of the user U from the browsing history, purchase history, email / message history, sensor information, etc. of the user U.

[0091] The estimation unit 34 also estimates the surrounding context based on the shape of the UWB pulse received from the surroundings. For example, the estimation unit 34 estimates the surrounding context based on the intensity of the UWB pulse received from the surroundings. Alternatively, the estimation unit 34 estimates the surrounding context based on the frequency of the UWB pulse received from the surroundings.

[0092] The estimation unit 34 may estimate the surrounding context from a pattern of combinations of UWB pulse strength and pulse frequency. Alternatively, the estimation unit 34 may estimate the surrounding context from a pattern of combinations of UWB pulse frequency and pulse number. Alternatively, the estimation unit 34 may estimate the surrounding context from a pattern of combinations of UWB pulse strength, pulse frequency, and pulse number.

[0093] (Specific Section 35) The identification unit 35 identifies the shape of the UWB pulse according to the context of the user U. For example, the identification unit 35 identifies the intensity of the UWB pulse according to the context of the user U. Alternatively, the identification unit 35 identifies the frequency of the UWB pulse according to the context of the user U.

[0094] At this time, the specifying unit 35 may specify the UWB pulse shape according to the user U's context using a table stored in the storage unit 40 that associates contexts with pulse shapes.

[0095] For example, the identification unit 35 identifies the UWB pulse intensity according to the user U's context using a table stored in the storage unit 40 that associates contexts with pulse intensities.

[0096] Alternatively, the identification unit 35 identifies the frequency of the UWB pulse according to the context of the user U, using a table stored in the storage unit 40 that associates contexts with pulse frequencies.

[0097] For example, the identification unit 35 identifies a pattern of a combination of intensities of multiple UWB pulses according to the context of the user U. The identification unit 35 also identifies a pattern of a combination of frequencies of multiple UWB pulses according to the context of the user U.

[0098] The identification unit 35 may identify a pattern of combinations of UWB pulse strength and pulse frequency according to the context of the user U. Alternatively, the identification unit 35 may identify a pattern of combinations of UWB pulse frequency and pulse number according to the context of the user U. Alternatively, the identification unit 35 may identify a pattern of combinations of UWB pulse strength, pulse frequency, and pulse number according to the context of the user U.

[0099] (Output unit 36) The output unit 36 ​​outputs UWB pulses with the identified pulse shape via the transmission unit 31 and the communication unit 11. For example, the output unit 36 ​​changes the intensity of the UWB pulses to the identified UWB pulses and outputs them. The output unit 36 ​​also changes the frequency of the UWB pulses to the identified UWB pulses and outputs them.

[0100] For example, the output unit 36 ​​changes the UWB pulses to a pattern that is a combination of the intensities of a specified plurality of pulses and outputs the changed pulses. Alternatively, the output unit 36 ​​changes the UWB pulses to a pattern that is a combination of the frequencies of a specified plurality of pulses and outputs the changed pulses.

[0101] The output unit 36 ​​converts the first pulse at the beginning of the UWB pulses into a plurality of successive pulse waves, and changes the plurality of successive pulse waves that are the first pulse at the beginning into a specified pulse shape and outputs it.

[0102] For example, the output unit 36 ​​converts the first pulse at the beginning of the UWB pulses into a plurality of consecutive pulse waves, and outputs the plurality of consecutive pulse waves that are the first pulse at the beginning by changing the intensity of the pulses to a specified pulse.

[0103] Alternatively, the output unit 36 ​​converts the first pulse at the beginning of the UWB pulses into a plurality of consecutive pulse waves, and converts the plurality of consecutive pulse waves that are the first pulse at the beginning into a specified pulse frequency and outputs it.

[0104] The output unit 36 ​​may change the UWB pulses to a specified pattern of combinations of UWB pulse intensity and pulse frequency and output the changed pulses. Alternatively, the output unit 36 ​​may change the UWB pulses to a specified pattern of combinations of UWB pulse frequency and pulse number and output the changed pulses. Alternatively, the output unit 36 ​​may change the UWB pulses to a specified pattern of combinations of UWB pulse intensity, pulse frequency, and pulse number and output the changed pulses.

[0105] (Storage unit 40) The storage unit 40 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a flash memory, or a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), an optical disk, etc. The storage unit 40 stores various programs, various data, etc.

[0106] Furthermore, the storage unit 40 stores a table associating contexts with pulse shapes. For example, the storage unit 40 stores a table associating contexts with pulse intensities. Alternatively, the storage unit 40 stores a table associating contexts with pulse frequencies.

[0107] The storage unit 40 may store a table associating contexts with patterns of combinations of UWB pulse strength and pulse frequency. Alternatively, the storage unit 40 may store a table associating contexts with patterns of combinations of UWB pulse frequency and pulse count. Alternatively, the storage unit 40 may store a table associating contexts with patterns of combinations of UWB pulse strength, pulse frequency, and pulse count.

[0108] 7, the storage unit 40 includes a context estimation model 40A and a context-pulse correspondence table 40B. The context estimation model 40A is a model for estimating (inferring) the context of a user U.

[0109] (Context-pulse correspondence table 40B) The context-pulse correspondence table 40B is a table that associates contexts with patterns of combinations of UWB pulse strength, pulse frequency, and pulse count. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the context-pulse correspondence table 40B. In the example shown in Fig. 8, the context-pulse correspondence table 40B has items such as "context," "strength," "frequency," and "pulse count."

[0110] "Context" refers to the context obtained from user U's browsing history, purchase history, email / message history, sensor information, etc., and the context estimation model 40A. "Intensity" refers to the intensity of the UWB pulse according to the context. Note that the intensity may be a pattern that combines the intensities of multiple UWB pulses. "Frequency" refers to the frequency of the UWB pulse according to the context. Note that the frequency may be a pattern that combines the frequencies of multiple UWB pulses. "Number of pulses" refers to the number of UWB pulses according to the context. For example, the number of pulses refers to the number of times pulses are output at the above intensity and frequency.

[0111] For example, in the example shown in Figure 8, to represent the context "Working from home," it is shown that the following combination patterns are output: "strong" intensity and "X" frequency pulse "2 times," "weak" intensity and "Y" frequency pulse "1 time," and "strong" intensity and "Z" frequency pulse "1 time."

[0112] Here, in the example shown in FIG. 8, abstract values ​​such as "X", "Y", and "Z" are used for illustration, but "X", "Y", and "Z" are assumed to store information such as specific character strings or numerical values.

[0113] Note that the context-pulse correspondence table 40B is not limited to the above, and may store various types of information depending on the purpose. For example, the context-pulse correspondence table 40B may store not only the context of the user U, but also the surrounding context. Furthermore, the context-pulse correspondence table 40B may store information regarding the location of the user U. Furthermore, the context-pulse correspondence table 40B may store browsing history, purchase history, email / message history, sensor information, etc., which are used as the basis for estimating the context.

[0114] [4. Example of external server configuration] Next, the configuration of the external server 100 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the external server 100 according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 9, the external server 100 includes a communication unit 110, a storage unit 120, and a control unit 130.

[0115] (Communication unit 110) The communication unit 110 is realized by, for example, a network interface card (NIC), etc. The communication unit 110 is also connected to a network N (see FIG. 6) by wire or wirelessly.

[0116] (Storage unit 120) The storage unit 120 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a flash memory, or a storage device such as an HDD, an SSD, an optical disk, etc. As shown in FIG. 9, the storage unit 120 has a user information database 121 and a history information database 122.

[0117] (User Information Database 121) The user information database 121 stores user information about the user U. For example, the user information database 121 stores various information such as the attributes of the user U. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the user information database 121. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the user information database 121 has items such as "User ID (Identifier)," "Age," "Gender," "Home," "Workplace," and "Interests."

[0118] The "user ID" indicates identification information for identifying the user U. The "user ID" may be the contact information of the user U (telephone number, email address, etc.), or may be identification information for identifying the terminal device 10 of the user U.

[0119] Furthermore, "age" indicates the age of user U identified by the user ID. Note that "age" may be information indicating the specific age of user U (e.g., 35 years old), or may be information indicating the generation of user U (e.g., 30s). Alternatively, "age" may be information indicating the date of birth of user U, or may be information indicating the generation of user U (e.g., born in the 1980s). Furthermore, "gender" indicates the gender of user U identified by the user ID.

[0120] Furthermore, "home" indicates the location information of the home of user U identified by the user ID. In the example shown in FIG. 10, "home" is illustrated as an abstract code such as "LC11," but it may also be latitude and longitude information, etc. Furthermore, for example, "home" may also be the name of an area or an address.

[0121] Furthermore, "workplace" indicates location information of the workplace (school in the case of a student) of user U identified by the user ID. In the example shown in FIG. 10, "workplace" is illustrated as an abstract code such as "LC12," but it may also be latitude and longitude information, etc. Furthermore, for example, "workplace" may also be the name of a region or an address.

[0122] Furthermore, "interests" indicate the interests of user U identified by the user ID. In other words, "interests" indicate subjects in which user U identified by the user ID is highly interested. For example, "interests" may be search queries (keywords) entered by user U into a search engine. In the example shown in FIG. 10, each user U is shown with one "interest," but there may be multiple "interests."

[0123] For example, in the example shown in FIG. 10, the age of user U identified by user ID "U1" is "20s" and the gender is "male." Furthermore, for example, the home address of user U identified by user ID "U1" is "LC11." Furthermore, for example, the workplace of user U identified by user ID "U1" is "LC12." Furthermore, for example, the user U identified by user ID "U1" is interested in "sports."

[0124] 10, abstract values ​​such as "U1", "LC11", and "LC12" are used for illustration, but "U1", "LC11", and "LC12" are assumed to store information such as specific character strings and numerical values. Below, abstract values ​​may also be illustrated in diagrams relating to other information.

[0125] The user information database 121 may store various types of information depending on the purpose, without being limited to the above. For example, the user information database 121 may store various types of information related to the terminal device 10 of the user U. The user information database 121 may also store information related to the user U's attributes, such as demographic attributes, psychographic attributes, geographic attributes, and behavioral attributes. For example, the user information database 121 may store information such as name, family structure, hometown (hometown), occupation, job title, income, qualifications, type of residence (detached house, apartment, etc.), whether or not the user has a car, commuting time, commuting route, commuter pass area (station, line, etc.), frequently used stations (other than the station nearest to home or workplace), extracurricular activities (location, time zone, etc.), hobbies, interests, lifestyle, etc.

[0126] (History Information Database 122) The history information database 122 stores various information related to history information (log data) that indicates the behavior of the user U. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the history information database 122. In the example shown in Fig. 11, the history information database 122 has items such as "user ID," "location history," "search history," "browsing history," "purchase history," and "posting history."

[0127] "User ID" indicates identification information for identifying user U. "Location history" indicates the location history, which is the history of user U's location and movements. "Search history" indicates the search history, which is the history of search queries entered by user U. "Browsing history" indicates the browsing history, which is the history of content viewed by user U. "Purchase history" indicates the purchase history, which is the history of purchases made by user U. "Posting history" indicates the posting history, which is the history of posts made by user U. "Posting history" may also include questions about user U's possessions.

[0128] For example, in the example shown in Figure 11, user U, identified by user ID "U1," moved as shown in "Location History #1," searched as shown in "Search History #1," viewed content as shown in "Viewing History #1," purchased specific products at specific stores as shown in "Purchase History #1," and posted as shown in "Posting History."

[0129] Here, in the example shown in Figure 11, abstract values ​​such as "U1", "Location History #1", "Search History #1", "Browsing History #1", "Purchase History #1", and "Post History #1" are used for the illustration, but "U1", "Location History #1", "Search History #1", "Browsing History #1", "Purchase History #1", and "Post History #1" are assumed to store specific information such as character strings and numbers.

[0130] The history information database 122 is not limited to the above and may store various types of information depending on the purpose. For example, the history information database 122 may store the user U's usage history of a predetermined service. The history information database 122 may also store the user U's store visit history or facility visit history. The history information database 122 may also store the user U's payment history (electronic payment) using the terminal device 10.

[0131] (control unit 130) 9, the explanation will be continued. The control unit 130 is a controller, and is realized by, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or the like, executing various programs (corresponding to an example of an information processing program) stored in a storage device inside the external server 100 using a storage area such as a RAM as a working area. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 130 has an acquiring unit 131, a collecting unit 132, a learning unit 133, and a providing unit 134.

[0132] (Acquisition part 131) The acquisition unit 131 acquires a search query input by the user U. For example, when the user U inputs a search query into a search engine or the like to perform a keyword search, the acquisition unit 131 acquires the search query via the communication unit 110. That is, the acquisition unit 131 acquires, via the communication unit 110, the keywords input by the user U into the search box of a search engine, website, or app.

[0133] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 131 acquires user information about the user U via the communication unit 110. For example, the acquisition unit 131 acquires identification information (such as a user ID) indicating the user U, location information of the user U, attribute information of the user U, etc. from the terminal device 10 of the user U. Furthermore, the acquisition unit 131 may acquire the identification information indicating the user U, attribute information of the user U, etc. when registering the user U. Then, the acquisition unit 131 registers the user information in the user information database 121 of the storage unit 120.

[0134] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 131 acquires various types of history information (log data) indicating the behavior of the user U via the communication unit 110. For example, the acquisition unit 131 acquires various types of history information indicating the behavior of the user U from the terminal device 10 of the user U or from various servers based on the user ID or the like. Then, the acquisition unit 131 registers the various types of history information in the history information database 122 of the storage unit 120.

[0135] (Collection Department 132) The collection unit 132 collects information about the user U and the surrounding context from the terminal device 10 of each user U via the communication unit 110.

[0136] The collection unit 132 may also compile information about the user U and the surrounding context and store the compilation results in the storage unit 120.

[0137] (Learning Section 133) The learning unit 133 performs machine learning to construct a model (context estimation model) for estimating (inferring) the context of the user U. For example, the learning unit 133 may perform machine learning to construct a model for estimating the context of the user U from the browsing history, purchase history, email / message history, sensor information, etc. of the user U. The learning unit 133 may also perform machine learning to construct a model for estimating the context of the sender from the shape (intensity, frequency, etc.) of a UWB pulse received from the surrounding area.

[0138] (Provider 134) The providing unit 134 provides the terminal device 10 of each user U with a model (context estimation model) for estimating (inferring) the context of the user U via the communication unit 110.

[0139] The providing unit 134 may provide, via the communication unit 110, the terminal device 10 of each user U with a table associating combinations of contexts with pulse shapes (intensity, frequency, etc.).

[0140] [5. Processing Procedure] Next, a processing procedure by the terminal device 10 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure according to the embodiment. Note that the processing procedure shown below is repeatedly executed by the control unit 30 of the terminal device 10.

[0141] As shown in FIG. 12, the receiving unit 32 of the terminal device 10 receives a context estimation model for estimating (inferring) the context of a user U from the external server 100 via the communication unit 11 (step S101).

[0142] Next, the estimation unit 34 of the terminal device 10 uses the context estimation model to estimate the context of the user U from the browsing history, purchase history, email / message history, sensor information, etc. of the user U (step S102).

[0143] Next, the identification unit 35 of the terminal device 10 identifies a UWB pulse shape according to the user's context (step S103). For example, the identification unit 35 may identify a pattern of combinations of UWB pulse intensity, pulse frequency, and pulse number according to the user's context.

[0144] Next, the output unit 36 ​​of the terminal device 10 changes the UWB pulse to the specified pulse shape and outputs it (step S104). For example, the output unit 36 ​​may change the UWB pulse to a specified pattern of a combination of UWB pulse intensity, pulse frequency, and pulse number and output it.

[0145] Next, the receiver 32 of the terminal device 10 receives UWB pulses from other terminal devices 10 and transmitters 200 present in the vicinity (step S105). For example, the receiver 32 receives UWB pulses from a terminal device 10 that is within the reach of UWB radio waves and supports the present invention (changing and outputting UWB pulse shapes according to context).

[0146] Next, the estimation unit 34 of the terminal device 10 estimates the surrounding context from the shape of the received UWB pulse (step S106). For example, the estimation unit 34 estimates the surrounding context from the combination pattern of the intensity, frequency, and number of pulses of the received UWB pulse.

[0147] Next, the transmission unit 31 of the terminal device 10 transmits information about the user U and the surrounding context to the external server 100 via the communication unit 11 (step S107).

[0148] [6. Modifications] The terminal device 10 and the external server 100 described above may be implemented in various different forms other than the above embodiment. Therefore, modifications of the embodiment will be described below.

[0149] In the above embodiment, some or all of the processing executed by the external server 100 may actually be executed by the terminal device 10. For example, the processing may be completed in a stand-alone manner (by the terminal device 10 alone). In this case, the terminal device 10 is assumed to have the functions of the external server 100 in the above embodiment. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, since the terminal device 10 is linked to the external server 100, from the perspective of the user U, it appears that the processing of the external server 100 is also being executed by the terminal device 10. In other words, from another perspective, it can be said that the terminal device 10 is equipped with the external server 100.

[0150] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, UWB (Ultra Wide Band) is used as an example for explanation, but in reality, it is not limited to UWB. For example, other communication standards that can transmit information in a pulse format by changing the pulse shape, similar to UWB, may be used.

[0151] [7. Effects] As described above, the information processing device (terminal device 10 and external server 100) according to the present application includes an estimation unit 34 that estimates the context of user U, an identification unit 35 that identifies the shape of a UWB pulse according to the context of user U, and an output unit 36 ​​that outputs a UWB pulse with the identified pulse shape.

[0152] The estimation unit 34 estimates the surrounding context based on the shape of the UWB pulse received from the surroundings.

[0153] The estimation unit 34 estimates the context of the user U based on the history information or the sensor information.

[0154] For example, the specifying unit 35 specifies the intensity of the UWB pulse according to the context of the user U. The output unit 36 ​​changes the intensity of the UWB pulse to the specified UWB pulse intensity and outputs it.

[0155] The estimation unit 34 estimates the surrounding context based on the intensity of UWB pulses received from the surroundings.

[0156] Furthermore, the specifying unit 35 specifies the frequency of the UWB pulse according to the context of the user U. The output unit 36 ​​changes the UWB pulse to the specified UWB pulse frequency and outputs it.

[0157] The estimation unit 34 estimates the surrounding context based on the frequency of UWB pulses received from the surroundings.

[0158] The information processing device according to the present application further includes a storage unit that stores a table that associates contexts with pulse shapes. The identification unit 35 uses the table to identify the UWB pulse shape corresponding to the context of the user U.

[0159] The storage unit stores a table that associates contexts with pulse intensities. The identification unit 35 uses the table to identify the UWB pulse intensity according to the user U's context.

[0160] The storage unit stores a table that associates contexts with pulse frequencies. The identification unit 35 identifies the UWB pulse frequency according to the user U's context using the table.

[0161] The identification unit 35 identifies a pattern of a combination of intensities of a plurality of UWB pulses according to the context of the user U. The output unit 36 ​​changes the UWB pulses to the identified pattern of a combination of intensities of a plurality of pulses and outputs the pulses.

[0162] The identification unit 35 identifies a pattern of a combination of multiple UWB pulse frequencies according to the context of the user U. The output unit 36 ​​changes the UWB pulses to the identified pattern of a combination of multiple pulse frequencies and outputs the changed pulses.

[0163] The output unit 36 ​​converts the first pulse at the beginning of the UWB pulses into a plurality of successive pulse waves, and changes the plurality of successive pulse waves that are the first pulse at the beginning into a specified pulse shape and outputs it.

[0164] The identification unit 35 identifies a pattern of a combination of UWB pulse intensity and pulse frequency according to the context of the user U. The output unit 36 ​​changes the UWB pulse to the identified pattern of a combination of UWB pulse intensity and pulse frequency and outputs the changed UWB pulse.

[0165] The identification unit 35 identifies a pattern of combinations of UWB pulse frequencies and pulse numbers according to the context of the user U. The output unit 36 ​​changes the UWB pulses to the identified pattern of combinations of UWB pulse frequencies and pulse numbers and outputs the converted UWB pulses.

[0166] The identification unit 35 identifies a pattern of combinations of UWB pulse strength, pulse frequency, and pulse count according to the context of the user U. The output unit 36 ​​changes the UWB pulses to the identified pattern of combinations of UWB pulse strength, pulse frequency, and pulse count, and outputs the changed UWB pulses.

[0167] By performing any one or a combination of the above-described processes, the information processing device according to the present application can transmit information in the form of UWB pulses, separately from data transmission.

[0168] [8. Hardware Configuration] The terminal device 10 and the external server 100 according to the above-described embodiments are realized by a computer 1000 having a configuration as shown in Fig. 13, for example. The following description will be given taking the external server 100 as an example. Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration. The computer 1000 is connected to an output device 1010 and an input device 1020, and has a configuration in which a calculation device 1030, a primary storage device 1040, a secondary storage device 1050, an output I / F (Interface) 1060, an input I / F 1070, and a network I / F 1080 are connected via a bus 1090.

[0169] The arithmetic device 1030 operates based on programs stored in the primary storage device 1040 and the secondary storage device 1050, programs read from the input device 1020, and the like, and executes various processes. The arithmetic device 1030 is realized by, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or the like.

[0170] The primary storage device 1040 is a memory device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) that temporarily stores data used by the arithmetic device 1030 for various calculations. The secondary storage device 1050 is a storage device in which data used by the arithmetic device 1030 for various calculations and various databases are registered, and is realized by a ROM (Read Only Memory), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), a flash memory, or the like. The secondary storage device 1050 may be an internal storage device or an external storage device. The secondary storage device 1050 may also be a removable storage medium such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or an SD (Secure Digital) memory card. The secondary storage device 1050 may also be cloud storage (online storage), a NAS (Network Attached Storage), a file server, or the like.

[0171] The output I / F 1060 is an interface for transmitting information to be output to an output device 1010 that outputs various types of information, such as a display, a projector, a printer, etc., and is realized by a connector conforming to a standard such as USB (Universal Serial Bus), DVI (Digital Visual Interface), or HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface), etc. The input I / F 1070 is an interface for receiving information from various input devices 1020, such as a mouse, a keyboard, a keypad, a button, a scanner, etc., and is realized by a USB, etc.

[0172] Furthermore, the output I / F 1060 and the input I / F 1070 may be wirelessly connected to the output device 1010 and the input device 1020, respectively. That is, the output device 1010 and the input device 1020 may be wireless devices.

[0173] The output device 1010 and the input device 1020 may be integrated into one device, such as a touch panel. In this case, the output I / F 1060 and the input I / F 1070 may also be integrated into one device as an input / output I / F.

[0174] The input device 1020 may be a device that reads information from, for example, an optical recording medium such as a CD (Compact Disc), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), or a PD (Phase Change Rewritable Disk), a magneto-optical recording medium such as an MO (Magneto-Optical disk), a tape medium, a magnetic recording medium, or a semiconductor memory.

[0175] The network I / F 1080 receives data from other devices via the network N and sends it to the arithmetic device 1030, and also transmits data generated by the arithmetic device 1030 to other devices via the network N.

[0176] The arithmetic unit 1030 controls the output device 1010 and the input device 1020 via the output I / F 1060 and the input I / F 1070. For example, the arithmetic unit 1030 loads a program from the input device 1020 or the secondary storage device 1050 onto the primary storage device 1040 and executes the loaded program.

[0177] For example, when the computer 1000 functions as the external server 100, the arithmetic unit 1030 of the computer 1000 executes a program loaded onto the primary storage device 1040 to realize the functions of the control unit 130. The arithmetic unit 1030 of the computer 1000 may also load a program acquired from another device via the network I / F 1080 onto the primary storage device 1040 and execute the loaded program. The arithmetic unit 1030 of the computer 1000 may also cooperate with the other device via the network I / F 1080 to call and use the functions and data of a program from another program of the other device.

[0178] [9. Other] Although the embodiments of the present application have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the contents of these embodiments. Furthermore, the above-described components include those that can be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those that are within the scope of so-called equivalents. Furthermore, the above-described components can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the components can be made without departing from the spirit of the above-described embodiments.

[0179] Furthermore, among the processes described in the above embodiments, all or part of the processes described as being performed automatically can be performed manually, or all or part of the processes described as being performed manually can be performed automatically using a known method. In addition, the information including the processing procedures, specific names, various data, and parameters shown in the above documents and drawings can be changed as desired unless otherwise specified. For example, the various information shown in each drawing is not limited to the information shown in the drawings.

[0180] Furthermore, the components of each device shown in the figure are conceptual functional components and do not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown in the figure. In other words, the specific form of distribution and integration of each device is not limited to that shown in the figure, and all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit depending on various loads, usage conditions, etc.

[0181] For example, the above-mentioned external server 100 may be realized by multiple server computers, and depending on the function, the configuration can be flexibly changed, such as by calling an external platform using an API (Application Programming Interface) or network computing.

[0182] Furthermore, the above-described embodiments and modifications can be combined as appropriate within the scope of not causing any contradiction in the processing content.

[0183] Furthermore, the above-mentioned "section, module, unit" can be read as "means" or "circuit," etc. For example, an acquisition unit can be read as an acquisition means or an acquisition circuit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0184] 1. Information Processing Systems 10 Terminal Equipment 34 Estimation part 35 Specific part 36 Output section 40A Context Estimation Model 40B Context-Pulse Correspondence Table 100 external servers 110 Communications Department 120 Storage section 121 User Information Database 122 Historical Information Database 130 Control Unit 131 Acquisition Department 132 Collection Department 133 Learning Department 134 Provision Department 200 Transmitters

Claims

1. An information processing device used as a terminal device capable of UWB communication, an estimation unit that estimates a context of the user using a model for estimating a context related to the user's behavior, situation, or surrounding environment from history information or sensor information of the user of the terminal device; an identification unit that identifies a UWB pulse shape corresponding to the estimated user context using a table that associates combinations of contexts with pulse shapes; an output unit that changes the pulse shape and outputs a UWB pulse with a specified pulse shape in UWB communication, thereby transmitting information in the pulse shape separately from data transmission; An information processing device comprising:

2. the estimation unit estimates a context around the user based on shapes of UWB pulses received from terminal devices around the user; The apparatus further includes a transmitting unit that transmits information about the user's context and the user's surrounding context to an external server.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

3. The estimation unit estimates the context of the user when there is a change in the user's history information or the obtained sensor information due to the user's behavior or an environmental change.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is a computer.

4. The identification unit identifies a UWB pulse intensity according to a context of the user, The output unit changes the intensity of the UWB pulse to a specified UWB pulse and outputs the changed intensity.

4. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the information processing device is a computer.

5. The device further includes a receiving unit that is compatible with UWB and can receive context related to the status of the transmitter or the surrounding environment in the form of UWB pulses from a transmitter that transmits information in the form of UWB pulses, The estimation unit estimates the context of the transmitter based on the shape of a UWB pulse received from the transmitter.

5. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the information processing device is a computer.

6. The specifying unit specifies the UWB pulse strength according to the user's context using a table that associates context with pulse strength.

6. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the information processing device is a computer.

7. the identification unit identifies a pattern of a combination of intensities of a plurality of UWB pulses according to a context of the user; The output unit converts the UWB pulse into a pattern of a combination of specified pulse intensities and outputs the converted pulse.

7. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the information processing device is a computer.

8. The output unit converts a first pulse at the beginning of the UWB pulses into a plurality of successive pulse waves, and converts the plurality of successive pulse waves that are the first pulse at the beginning into a specified pulse shape and outputs the converted pulse wave.

8. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the information processing device is a computer.

9. the identification unit identifies a pattern of a combination of UWB pulse intensity and pulse frequency according to the user's context; The output unit converts the UWB pulse into a pattern of a combination of a specified UWB pulse intensity and a pulse frequency and outputs the converted UWB pulse.

9. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the information processing device is a computer.

10. the identifying unit identifies a pattern of a combination of UWB pulse intensity, pulse frequency, and pulse number according to the user's context; The output unit converts the UWB pulses into a pattern of a combination of a specified UWB pulse intensity, a pulse frequency, and a pulse number, and outputs the converted UWB pulses.

10. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the information processing device is a computer.

11. An information processing method executed by an information processing device used as a terminal device capable of UWB communication, an estimation step of estimating a context of the user using a model for estimating a context related to the user's behavior, situation, or surrounding environment from history information or sensor information of the user of the terminal device; a specifying step of specifying a UWB pulse shape corresponding to the estimated user context using a table that associates combinations of contexts with pulse shapes; an output step of outputting UWB pulses with a specified pulse shape by changing the pulse shape in UWB communication, thereby transmitting information in the pulse shape separately from data transmission; An information processing method comprising:

12. An estimation procedure for estimating a context of a user of a terminal device capable of UWB communication using a model for estimating a context related to the user's behavior, situation, or surrounding environment from history information or sensor information of the user; a step of identifying a UWB pulse shape corresponding to the estimated user context using a table that associates combinations of contexts with pulse shapes; an output procedure for transmitting information in a pulse shape separately from data transmission by changing a pulse shape and outputting a UWB pulse in a specified pulse shape in UWB communication; An information processing program for causing a computer used as a terminal device capable of UWB communication to execute the above.

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